Variety Boxes
by akaeve
Summary: Written for Box Challenge on NFA. I tried to "think out the box" so to speak.


**Variety Boxes**

"I always liked cricket………not that I was very good at it….I always seemed to be the 12th man…..but then………."

"Who you talking to Duks?" Special Agent Gibbs enquired as he entered autopsy.

"Jethro…so good to see you…….I was just telling our friend here….how I used to participate in cricket at Eton…………our Matron was rather good too, she was ambidextrous and really confused the upper sixth……….in more ways than one I might add." Dr Mallard replied.

"Quite Duks, but what happened?"

"In a nut-shell……" as he began to smile, "A shell….the ball was the bomb……double meaning Jethro……..shell."

"Yes……..I do get it…….but," now looking down at the corpse, "Was he wearing a cup?"

"Wouldn't have protected him, Jethro. No cricket box, would have. The ball up to the bat." as Ducky bowled to show Gibbs. "And as the bat down the front, as such," indicating, "Bang….. the arms and the torso. Splinters everywhere. Now if you will allow me to continue."

Gibbs turned and walked away. This was going to be a tricky one.

Captain James Morgan, not only was he a Captain, but also the captain of the Marine cricket club. The club were distraught. Who would have wanted the Captain dead. He had just returned from Afghanistan and the Afghan Cricket team were hoping to qualify for the 2010 World Twenty20 in Saudi. There was talk, that he had been killed because of something that had happened in Afghanistan. Others said it was just terrorists trying their hand. Gibbs just waited. He knew this body would not be the last.

They were called to the Marine Barracks, the next day. Lunch-time.

"Great" Tony said, "Can, get a bite to eat in the refractory."

"Nope. We have a dead body and this time the sport is baseball."

"So we have another sporting accident." Ziva had said, "Just as well I run."

The body was lying crumpled on the ground inside the box, in front of the catchers box, the hilt of the bat still grasped in the hand that was hanging from the body. Only the tendons and sinew were holding what was left to the deceased. Dr Mallard looked a the body and then turned to Gibbs,

"The comparison between cricket and baseball, demonstrates that many of baseball's distinctive elements are shared in various ways with its cousin." as he now knelt down to examine more. "And don't say time of death, we have witnesses."

Gibbs just shrugged, and pulled his notepad out his pocket, "Need statements from you all."

The latest body had been a Lance Corporal. Nothing connected him to the Captain, only the love of sport. Gibbs wondered, serial killer or a chancer as Ducky would have said, a copycat style killing.

Special Agent Gibbs sat at his desk, in his left hand he had the stress ball, he was squeezing gently. Balls…….he thought, and smiled to himself, no he thought I need a woman. He put the ball down on the desk. The ball was the killer, but who? The body had of course been in the base-box, waiting to strike………but the killer had……….he heard the phone ring and Tony answer…….

"We got another Boss………."

"Where this time?" Gibbs asked.

"Quantico………..the squash court."

Gibbs could only imagine the state of the box, and the glass windows, as he rose and collected his gear, and headed for the elevator.

They arrived just before Dr Mallard and Jimmy. Dr Mallard was trying to explain the rules of cricket to him.

"You have 2 sides, one out in the field and one in. Each man that's in, the side that's in goes out, and when he's out he comes in and the next man goes in, until he's out. When they are all out, the side that's out comes in, and the side that's been in goes out and tries to get those coming in out. Sometimes you get men still in and not out. When both sides have been in and out, including the not outs, that's the end of the game."

"And is that when they go for tea, Dr Mallard."

"That is correct, unless of course rain stops play, which is usually the problem in England…………..Ah Jethro what do we have here?………..looks like a jam donut hit the fan." as he entered the court box.

The body, or again what was left of it, was splattered all over the glass, the squash ball was definitely squished, the body in pieces.

"Think we need a spatula or a fish-slice to put the bits in a poke, that would be the bag, Mr Palmer." now looking at the surprised faces round him.

"Time of death Duks?" Gibbs smiled.

"Watch, Jethro, watch…….and you will see." now laughing at his own joke.

The female private, keep-fit fanatic. Ran, did boxing, including the kick variety, and squash. She was going to be a Physical Training Officer. Gibbs wondered what next. What kind of ball next? How many more victims, his mind began to work overtime.

"DiNozzo……….find out any connection with the deaths…….right down to equipment……….ask our other offices if they have similar cases." he thought back to the first time he had met Hollis at the Army golf course. That had been a trip-wire not a direct hit…………but what if the killer or killers were working their way up, who or what would be the next sport?

They didn't have long to wait. They got a call from the local ice rink. Some Marine Captain was wanting to start an ice-hockey team. They didn't have one of those, well they wouldn't now………..

The rink was more like a swimming pool than an ice rink. The thing was, because of the padding of protective clothing, the shin pads, and body clothing, the only injuries were ice burns and the players' arm was hanging inside the jerkin. The rest of the team were in the sin box or sin bin. They were shaking. "Good," thought Gibbs, "Now we can maybe get some answers." as he made his way down the steps, opening his note pad as he did so.

"Ok, starting at the top and the beginning……….what happened?"

Back at NCIS Headquarters, the team were sitting studying their computers and notes. Gibbs was looking at the sports, cricket, baseball, squash and now ice hockey, what did they all have in common apart from balls or in the case of the hockey a puck. He thought of the positions where the victims had been standing, when they had met their demise. Boxes. They had all been standing inside boxes of some description………The cricketer, he should have been wearing a cup, a cricket box, the baseball player was in front of the box, the private, she was in a box when she hit the ball, and the players in the hockey team, they were sitting in the sin box. His thoughts were broken by Tony's prattle.

"Well life is like box of chocolates…You never know what you're gonna get." he spoke to Ziva in a drawl.

"Is that all you can say DiNozzo? We have bodies all over the place and no nearer solving………."

"Agent Gibbs." he heard the voice shout from the top of the stairs, "My office." Gibbs looked up and saw the Director, the face showed it all. He raced up the stairs, and followed Vance into his office.

"Leon?" he replied shutting the door.

"You any further forward? I mean what you got to go on?"

As Gibbs thought for a moment, "Nope……….."

"Nope………that all you got to say?"

"Yep." Gibbs answered. He just loved winding up the Director.

"Agent Gibbs, unless you get some answers and find out who, or what is behind these bombings I will reassign the case………do I make myself clear?"

"Crystal, Director," as he turned to leave.

The Marine Football team were playing at home, in Quantico, the opposition, the Navy from Norfolk. It was all very civilized……well as civilised as two opposing branches of the armed services could be. There were more bruisers and bruising going on than actual play. The referee couldn't quite keep up with the men. As the ball was caught by one of the opposition and ran to the line with it and kicked it over the bar, there was an almighty explosion and bits of body flew in all directions. The referee blew his whistle.

Gibbs arrived just as Dr Mallard and Jimmy turned up arguing again, not they were not arguing, they were discussing the finer points of Rugby.

"Rugby league has 13 players and Rugby Football Union 15, your American football has 11 players, very fast but then you would need to be with less players……….ah Jethro what have you left me with?" as he looked at the bits of now rotting flesh, "Pretty offal….awful…….offal…….get it Mr Palmer."

"Yes Dr Mallard." Jimmy answered looking at Gibbs, who smiled.

"We need to find out more about the petty officer. DiNozzo, are these, or are these not random killings………"

"Would say random Boss…………"

"Ziva you any idea or ideas? Tim?" now looking at McGee.

"Boss…………I have a list of suppliers for the equipment and……….." Tim stammered.

"And…..?" Gibbs questioned.

"And it would appear to lead back to a recruiting sergeant……….and a…….."

"Don't tell me a disgruntled person who was turned away.." thinking of a case they had when Kate had been alive.

"No, was going to say……..yes……..how did you guess……..?"

"McGee stop muttering, and fumbling and say what you think………or what you have." Gibbs now shouted.

"Recruiting Sergeant out of Boston, he had twin sons."

"Had……..or has…….?" Gibbs again shouted, getting mildly annoyed by his junior agents' ramblings.

"Had……….one died in Afghanistan………"

"Don't tell me……….playing some sport." now thinking of when Tony had gone to Iraq.

"Yes…………has been under a psychiatrists' guidance……….only thing is…….." now looking at Gibbs and Tony, "He went missing 10 days ago………"

As Gibbs shot a look at Tim and then Ziva and DiNozzo, Tony shouted, "On it Boss." as they both ran for the car.

"And me Boss?" Tim now asked.

"Just lets hope we can find him, before he kills anyone else." Gibbs replied as he stormed to the other car.

They didn't have long to wait. Gibbs' cell rang.

"Jethro, we got a Recruiting Sergeant, just pulled from the Potomac. Want me to send him to Ducky in a box?" Fornell asked.

"That would be good, but what you think he died of?"

"Not up to me to say, but he was wearing a Jock strap, as if he had thought of doing some bungee jumping." as Gibbs thanked Fornell and dialled Ducky to tell him the news.

"That it Boss?" Tony enquired.

"Yep……….until the next case." Gibbs replied.

"Do you not mean box?" Ziva laughed.


End file.
